Cherryville's 1992 baseball team celebrates 25th anniversary of state championship

Friday

Apr 14, 2017 at 10:33 PMApr 14, 2017 at 10:33 PM

Richard Walker Gazette staff JRWalk22

CHERRYVILLE — When Cherryville High won the 1992 N.C. 2A state baseball championship, it took five days and two long trips to Whiteville.

But if you saw the players and head coach who returned for Thursday's reunion of that team, they'll tell you to a man that it was more than worth it.

"We still talk about it, so that tells you how important it was to us," said Steve Sanders, the standout pitcher who sparked the team's postseason run.

"It really doesn't feel like it was that long ago. But a lot of us do get to see each other quite a bit and last year reminded us of how special that year really was."

Last year, Sanders and one other member of the 1992 team got to see their sons beat Whiteville again as Cherryville swept a best-of-three playoff series at Zebulon's Five County Stadium for the 2016 N.C. 1A title.

On Thursday, before Cherryville's come-from-behind 3-2, 11-inning win over Highland Tech, Sanders, Kelly Homesley and two other 1992 players — Preston Long and Chesley Walls — participated in pregame ceremonial first pitches to their sons on the 2017 Cherryville team.

"It's awesome to see that next generation win," said Sanders, whose son Tyler Sanders was a 10-0 pitcher on last year's team but has missed this season following knee surgery. "He's got a ring and I've got a ring."

Actually, Steve Sanders has two championships, as he and 12 other 1992 teammates helped Cherryville win the 1993 N.C. 2A title.

On Thursday, the 1992 team was celebrating its 25-5 overall record that Sanders and its coach, Henry Jones, say got a boost from Mother Nature.

Current Cherryville High assistant coach Brian Kiser hit a two-run double to provide the difference in a 2-1 Game 1 victory in the series as Sanders won for the 12th time in 13 outings.

But after Whiteville rebounded to win 11-5 in Game 2 the following day, torrential rain postponed the decisive Game 3 four days — and gave Sanders enough rest to return and win 5-1 to clinch the state title.

"Everything just worked out for us," said Henry Jones, who guided the Ironmen to a 542-207 record and a record six state titles during his 32-year tenure as Cherryville head coach.

"They hammered us pretty good in that second game and the rain gave us a couple of days to regroup."

Said Sanders: "The rain really helped us. I was able to come back on five days rest and that was good for me."

Sanders would finish his three-year prep career with a 32-4 overall record with four saves. And in 1992, he was the winning pitcher in all six of the Ironmen's victories.

Sanders, outfielder Homesley, shortstop Brian McGinnis and catcher Joel Porter would go on to help Brevard, then coached by current Gardner-Webb head coach Rusty Stroupe, to the 1994 junior college World Series.

Outfielder Apollo Brooks would go on to play college basketball at North Greenville and outfielder Jack Moss is currently head baseball coach at Forbush High, which ironically lost to Cherryville in the Western N.C. 2A semifinals of those 1992 playoffs.

"These 25 years have gone by pretty fast," Kiser said. "Since (basketball) coach (Scott) Harrill has been (athletic director), he's been trying to hold reunions for all of the championship teams. It's been exciting to get together.

"Since I coach here, I do see a lot of the guys, but even with the guys I don't see all the time, you could tell it was like we'd never been apart. We were telling stories and having fun."